Anchor: U.S. Vice President Mike Pence says a second U.S.-North Korea summit is not far in the future. He met in Singapore Thursday with President Moon Jae-in.
Kurt Achin has more.  

Report:  U.S. Vice President Mike Pence says a second summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un "will likely occur after the first of the year."

However, where and when that meeting will happen remains to be seen, Pence added.

The U.S. Vice President said the Trump administration did not want to repeat mistakes of its predecessors in which sanctions relief and economic assistance were given to the North before it had fulfilled its denuclearization promises.

Pence made the remarks after meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in Thursday, a day after Moon met with with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Singapore.

South Korea has previously echoed Russia and China's calls for sanctions relief for the North.  In meetings with European leaders last month he proposed incentives be provided to the North to reinforce what he calls a strategic decision by Pyongyang to denuclearize.

The Trump administration says sanctions will remain in place until the North's denuclearization is verifiable. 

In Thursday's meeting, Moon told Pence strong collaboration between Washington and Seoul is what brought North Korea back to the dialogue table, and that it must continue. 

[Sound bite: S. Korean President Moon Jae-in (Korean)]
"I believe that such progress has been all down to President Trump's strong leadership and bold decision. And I've always been very much grateful to him. And the important thing is that Chairman Kim also expressed his gratitude to President Trump by telling me that he thinks it would have been impossible to achieve such progress without President Trump."

Moon added, he hopes a second U.S.-North Korea summit will produce headway in the denuclearization and peace process.  

Pence on his part stressed that Pyongyang should take further steps.

[Sound bite: U.S. Vice President Mike Pence]
"But much work remains and I look forward to discussing with you the plans for another summit between the president and Chairman Kim, and how we can work even more closely together in the days ahead to ensure peace and security can come at last to the Korean Peninsula."

President Moon on Friday will move to Papua New Guinea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC, summit as well as bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jin-ping on Saturday. 
Kurt Achin, KBS World Radio News.